Baldwin Highlanders - 1975 & 1988 AAA

AIRPORT – Blackhawk missed the playoffs last season on the season’s final day, losing to Center in a mild upset. Coach Dave Stepanian’s club has already clinched a playoff spot for this year’s tournament and is possibly looking to slip into a home playoff berth for the first round. Ahead of the Cougars prior to this evenings contest are Deer Lakes [whom Blackhawk defeated 11-8 last week] and Freeport, so a victory over the Yellow Jackets would be huge. Freeport has battled all season and after a slow start, coach Jim Hill’s club went on a mini streak and then dropped a couple of one goal nailbitters to Mars and Bishop McCort. The Yellow Jackets are also looking to nail down a home berth in a potential first round match-up in the upcoming Class A playoffs. The opening period was pretty wide open as the teams played a little loose on defense. Freeport’s Dustin Gaworski missed on the breakaway at 13:44 and Blackhawk netminder John Fitzgerald made a stick save on Yellow Jacket sniper Michael Bender at 6:55. Blackhawk appeared to take the lead as Jake Polas hit Mike Wylie in stride and Wylie scored on the rebound, but the officials determined that the puck was directed in with a high stick. Freeport’s Dustin Gaworski bumped a Cougar defenseman off the puck and walked to the net and buried a wrist shot upstairs at 3:08 for a 1-0 lead. Freeport then took a couple of penalties and was down by two with 1:32 remaining. Blackhawk show extreme patience and it paid off as Jake Polas found Sam Kristian, who beat Derek Gaworski through the 5-hole to tie the game at one apiece with just :47 left in the opening frame. In the second, the Cougars went back on the power play at 13:04 and Mike Wylie hit the crossbar and dropped in the crease and no goal, but Blackhawk kept working and Jake Polas scored on the rebound at 11:23 for a 2-1 lead for the home team. Freeport came right back as Marty Bollinger’s slapshot from the right point glanced off Fitzgerald’s glove to tie the game at 10:43. The Cougars regained the lead as Mike Wylie walked through the Yellow Jacket defense and dropped a beautiful feed to Matt Stepanian, who made no mistake on the ice down low and Blackhawk now had a 3-2 lead at 9:33. The game tightened up defensively as both teams engaged in a chess match, Bender’s attempt to tie the game hit the post with 4:59 remaining in the 2nd. On to the third period and Derek Gaworski and John Fitzgerald put on a goaltending clinic. Gaworski stopped the Cougars Peterson on the breakaway with 6:06 left. Fitzgerald stoned Freeport’s big guns Mike Bender and Dustin Gaworski with 5:01 remaining. Blackhawk’s Mike Wylie just missed with 4:39 remaining as Gaworski dove to push the puck wide. Blackhawk went on the power play on a very undisciplined penalty by Freeport with just 2:32 left, but the Yellow Jackets were the aggressor as Gaworski and Bender had some chances shorthanded, but Blackhawk held on as Freeport could not get the equalizer with a 3-2 win. The victory pole vaulted the Cougars into 8th place in the Class A standings and in position to capture a home playoff game.